By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
It always works whenever a long-running series deviates and shows us the main cast from an outside point of view, whether it’s Battlestar Galactica’s “Final Cut,” Stargate SG-1’s “Heroes,” or the episode that was most sci-fi fans first example of the trope: Star Trek: The Next Generation’s “Lower Decks.” Though the episode is one of the best of the series, by focusing on Ensigns angling to make it up the ranks of Starfleet, it’s a look at the crew from the perspective of those trying to win their respect and approval. That’s why when Babylon 5 played with the trope in “A View From the Gallery,” it was a better take on the concept episode thanks to Mack and Bo, two regular schmoes working on the space station.
A New Perspective On Babylon 5
Mack (Raymond O’Conner) and Bo (Lawrence LeJohn) work as floaters onboard Babylon 5, and during “A View From the Gallery” they pick up snippets of conversation from the officers, but never get the full picture of what’s going as the station is under attack by a nameless alien race. We get to hear the two talk about Sheridan (Bruce Boxleitner) with respect, while on Lochley (Tracy Scoggins) the two are mixed thanks to her stance during the Civil War. As the attack intensifies, Mack and Bo wind up in a shelter with Londo (Peter Jurasik) and G’Kar (Andreas Katsulas), showing how petty the pair’s constant jabs at each other sound to civilians.
In a secondary shelter, Bo and Mack come across telepaths including Byron Gordon (Robin Atkin Downes), who helps assuage the two’s awkwardness, fear, and suspicion of the group. Grodon even uses his powers to let Bo see through the eyes of a Starfury pilot, an experience that leaves the maintenance worker shaken and with an even greater appreciation for the courage and skill of the pilots who keep Babylon 5 safe. Unlike “Lower Decks,” “A View From the Gallery” isn’t about soldiers or military officers, it’s two working stiffs trying to make a living in a dangerous, and unforgiving universe.
It’s a very different perspective on life onboard Babylon 5 than any other episode shows, and by shifting the perspective, “A View From the Gallery” makes fans appreciate the officers, ambassadors, and pilots even more in later episodes. The ending also reveals a lot about the difference between Sheridan and Delenn (Mira Furlan), after the captain couldn’t remember the names of either Bo or Mack, despite personally asking them to take her to an escape pod. Yet Delenn, maintaining the grace and dignity that made her a successful ambassador, asks for Mack’s name, and listens intently to what he has to say, as she abandons her escort, which may have been her plan all along to win them over, or, as her stance during the Telepath War shows, she really is just a kind and compassionate person.
Two Of The Greatest Episodes Of All Time
When “Lower Decks” first aired and took Star Trek: The Next Generation fans into the lives of those working far removed from the Bridge, it rightfully deserved praise, but the dark ending makes it a heartbreaking episode to sit through. Sito, one of the Ensigns desperate to prove herself, volunteers for a dangerous mission but is seemingly killed in the process, it’s a stark reminder of how dangerous it is to be a part of Starfleet. It’s an amazing story told in the span of a single episode, but Babylon 5’s “A View From the Gallery” does a better job of providing the main cast with a touch of humanity, while “Lower Decks” has a hard time due to the military structure of Starfleet.
Worf and Picard in particular, during their interactions with Sito, could be viewed as coming across as harsh and trying to coerce the Ensign into accepting a dangerous mission. They aren’t, but because it’s from the perspective of Sito, that’s what it feels like, and it’s a far cry from Delenn and Gordon trying to build bridges with Bo and Mack. Both Babylon 5 and Star Trek: The Next Generation are among the best sci-fi shows ever produced, and “A View From the Gallery” and “Lower Decks” are two of the best episodes of all time, but the former did a better job with a lower decks episode than the very episode that coined the term.
Fans often debate about which sci-fi universe would be the worst one to live in, and while the answer is Warhammer 40,000, the two similar, yet different episodes, make it clear that Star Trek would be far more pleasant than the world of Babylon 5. “A View From the Gallery” is the last time we get to see Bo and Mack, but it’s easy to imagine that for the rest of the show’s run, the two floating maintenance workers are still lamenting cleaning up other people’s messes.
